Formation 2007 Headquarters Mid-Atlantic Region | Type Alliance | |
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The Mid-Atlantic Union of Vietnamese Student Associations (MAUVSA) (Vietnamese:Liên Hội Sinh Viên Việt Nam Mid-Atlantic) is a non-profit alliance of college-based cultural organizations from D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. It consists of local chapters from 11 major schools throughout the region: George Mason University, The George Washington University, James Madison University, University of Maryland – College Park, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Georgetown University, North Carolina State University, and Old Dominion University. MAUVSA seeks to unify the Vietnamese American community, facilitate communication and cooperation among the various schools, empower and develop young leaders, foster cultural awareness and education, and promote social justice.
Contents
History
In 2006, the Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations (uNAVSA) approached students from Virginia Commonwealth University with the idea of creating an umbrella organization in the Mid-Atlantic area, similar to UVSA and other regional networks. The seven universities that would form MAUVSA held their first summit on October 14, 2006. Representatives from these schools were greeted by the helpful direction of uNAVSA President Hai T. Ton, External Vice-President Minh Thanh Nguyen, and Treasurer Aileen Pham. The uNAVSA officers presented an overview of leadership, and facilitated workshops on topics such as membership, coalition building, and project management. After this initial summit, leaders from the seven VSAs continued to meet throughout the academic year, and focused on drafting MAUVSA's new constitution. On July 21, 2007, they ratified and signed the constitution, officially recognizing and sanctioning the organization.
Members of the Union
Collective Philanthropy Project
Each year, the members of MAUVSA participate in a Collective Philanthropy Project (CPP) to raise money for charity. In 2007, MAUVSA's efforts benefitted the Catalyst Foundation, an organization supporting homeless and poverty-stricken children in Vietnam. After various fundraising activities and events throughout the year, MAUVSA donated $7,000 to Catalyst.
In 2008, MAUVSA successfully raised $7,700 for Vietnamese Overseas Initiative for Conscious Empowerment (VOICE), an organization offering legal and social services to Vietnamese refugees overseas. To celebrate and commemorate their achievements, the members of MAUVSA hosted a formal ball in June.
In 2009, MAUVSA donated to VietHope, an organization dedicated to building schools and offering scholarships in Vietnam. MAUVSA presented a ceremonial check for $5,000 at a formal dinner gala in June.
MAUVSA currently is helping with a new collective philanthropy project called Kids Without Borders. They are an ‘all-volunteer’ international non-governmental organization based in Washington state. Their work has reached more than 30 countries, with the majority of the programs and projects in Viet Nam. Kids Without Borders gives support to the orphans and children with disabilities linked to Agent Orange in Viet Nam.
Kids Without Borders helps orphans prepare to leave the orphanage at the age of 18 and for them to be ready to face the outside world. The focus of this year’s project will be on creating an exit plan for life after the orphanage, since the reality will be that a majority of them would end up living in poverty, become victims of crime, become trafficked or forced into marriage. With the proposed project, it will be able to provide the orphans with a better chance to become healthier, functional, and productive adults.
For more information about Kids Without Borders, please visit their website at kidswithnoborders.org
MAUVSA's charitable efforts and contributions have received attention from various media sources in the Vietnamese community. They have been featured on stations such as Vietnamese American Television (VATV) and Saigon Broadcasting Television Network (SBTN), as well as news websites such as VietBao Daily and Vietmedia.